Burner



April 14, 1925. ,533,833

E. c. coRADo BURNER Filed Nav. 1o, 192s Patented Apr. ll, MM5.

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TATS

tpieivlwll BURNER.

Application led November 10, 1923. Serial No. 673,937.

To @ZZ fro/1017?, t may concern.:

Be it known that I, EDWARD C. Corano, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and' temporarily residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, United States of America, have invented an Improvement in Burners, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates' toa burner for burning oil or like fluid, and particularly a burner of the character employed in railroad signal lanterns.

The invention has for an object to provide a burner of the character specified of novel and improved construction, capable of burning with a good flame for relatively 20 long periods of time without requiring trimming or other attention. A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of burner which may be maintained in an operating condition of maximum etliciency in a simple, practical and economical manner.

To these ends the burner is provided'with a dome or casing cooperating with the wick tube to form an enlargementthereof, and provided with air inlets on opposed walls thereof above the bottoni of the dome, comprising preferably tapering slots extending from the top of said walls downward substantially two-thirds the height of the dome. `With this construction of dome, the burnermay be operated without smoking with the wick raised above the end of the wick tube to expose a substantial length of lateral surface of the wick through which oil is supplied to maintain the flame when the top of the wick becomes encrusted and the oil supply therethrough cut oil?. The dome or casing may and preferably will be provided with one or more auxiliary air inlets for supplying additional air to within the dome to prevent `ium'r'iing of the flame and provision is preferably made for cleaning such air inlets in a novel, simple and practical manner. The dome or casing may and preferably will be provided with means for trimming the wick and provision is preferably made for cleaning the auxiliary air inlet openings and trimming the Wit/l5.- tem outside the lantern without extinguishing the fiame.

These and other features of the invention will be hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved burner; Fig. 2 a vertical section of the same; Fig. 3 a similar view illustrating the trimming of the wick; and Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional details of portions of the burner shown in Fig. 2, viewed in. the direction of the arrows 4 and 5 respectively.

Referring' to the drawings7 the burner is illustrated as comprising a` body portionv N preferably hollow and of sheet metal. having a removable top 12 and a reduced bottom portion 13, which is threaded and is adapted to screw into the usual font 14 containing the oil supply, a portion of which is shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The burner is also provided with a tube or holder 15 for the wick 16, which tube is extended through the central part of the body portion 10 and clamped in iixed relation thereto by clamping portions 17, 18, see F ig. 2. l

In order to provide a burner having the capability of burning for a relatively long period of time as compared with burners of existing types7 the burner is provided with a dome or casing 2O cooperating with the wick tube 15 to form an enlargement thereof. The dome or casing is provided with main air inlet openings 21 above the bottom of the dome, and preferably comprising` open slots in opposed walls of the dome, each slot extending downward from the top of the wall and being preferably of a length substantially equal to two-thirds of the height of the dome. '.he wick l() may in the operation of the burner be raised without smoking above the upper end of the wick tube 15 up to the level of the bottom of the slots 21 in the dome, thus exposing a substantial length of the lateral surface of the wick so that when the top of the wick becomes encrusted oil is automatically supplied from the exposed lateral surface of the wick to maintain the flame burning.

The lateral surface of the wick is protected from encrustation by the portions of the dome below the bottom of the slots'21, and with a wick of standard size, excellent results have been had with a dome 2() substantially rectangular in section, of a height approximately 378 of an inch and having mainair inlets, as shown, in opposed walls of the dome substantially in alignment with the wick tube and of a length substantially equal to 2A; of the height of the dome.- In order to prevent jumping of the flame, the dome or Casin" is preferably provided with auxiliary means for admitting air into the dome, and as hereinshown the dome is provided with a-plurality of auxiliary air inlets 23 at or near the bottom thereof, through which sufficient air is supplied for maintaining a steady combustion of the oil and a steady burning flame.

In order to maintain the burner in an operating condition of maximum efficiency, provision is made for maintaining the ventilating openings23 at the base of the dome or casing 20 free from soot and encrustation, and for this purpose the dome may and preferably will be constructed in two parts, one part 25 being stationary, and the other part 26 movable. As hereinshown the stationary part of the dome comprises a bottom plate which serves to close the bottom of the dome surrounding the wick tube 15, and which is provided with an upright portion 26, forming a stop for the second or movable portion 26 of the dome. The bottom plate 25 is affixed to the upper end of the wick tube, being referably secured thereto by cooperating ange portions 30, 3,1, see Fig. 2. The movable portion 26 of the dome or casing 20 may and preferably will be mounted to slide on the stationary portion 25, having portions 32 which are curved over and slidingly engage the sides of; the stationary bottom plate 25, The ventilating openings 23 are preferably formed by aA cut away-portion in the rear wall 34 of the movable portion 26 of the dome at the base thereof, yas illustrated in Fig. 4, and also by cooperating notched out portions 85, 36, in the front wall 37 thereof, and in the stop 28 as shown in Fig. 5. In order to clean the Ventilating openings, provision is made for reciprocating the movable portion 26 of the dome in orderthat the moven'ient `thereof may break up any encrustation formed in the Ventilating openi ugs, and for this purpose the movable porH tion 26 of the dome or casing 20 mayi'and preferably will be loperatively connected with an operating rod or shaft 40, adapted to extend tothe exterior ot the burner, and which may 'if desired be made of sufficient length to extend to theoutside of the lantern casing in which the burner .may be located. The rod or shaft 40 may also be utilized `to raise or lower the wick 16 in the l wick helder 15. As hei'einshown, the movable portion 26 of the dome is proviifled with a depeinling apron 42, bent as illustrated in Fig. 2, and having a metal piece 43 secured thereto. The end of the metal piece 43 is slotted, and is received within a` grooved pulley or block 44 secured upon the extended end of the shaft 40. A clamping device formed as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 comprises a metal piece: 45 extendedl under the end of the shaft 40, and having its opposite end bent over on top of the piece 43, and serves to retain the end of the apron 42 in engagement With the grooved block 44. The shaft 40 is journaled 'to rotate in holes in the body portion 10 of the burner, and in order to permit thesingle shaft to be used for the combined purpose of elevating the wick 16 and reciprocating the movable portion 26 of the burner to perform the cleaning operation in removing the encrustation and sont from the ventilating holes 23, a sprocket having an elongated opening or kcyway 51 in the center thereof is mounted upon a flattened portion 52 of the shaft 40 to be in effect keyed thereon, and by which rotations may be imparted from the shaft 40 to the sprocket 50 to raise and lower the wick. The sprocket .is prevented from lateral movement by a sleeve 53 andthe teeth of the sprocket are arranged to project through a slot in the wick tube 15 to engage the wick. The elongated keyway 51 in the sprocket permits the shaft 40 to be moved laterally with relation to the sprocket and this movement is transmitted ythrough the apron 42 and metal piece 43 to the movable portion 26 of the dome to cause the latter to move from the position illustrated in Fig. 2 to the position illustrated'in Fig. 3. In this manner any encrustation which may block or clog the Ventilating holes is broken up, and upon reciprocation of the movable portion 26 of the dome the soot and dirt thus loosened is carried over the edge of the bottom plate 25, and permitted to fall freely downward over the cover 12 and body portion 10.

Provision is also made for trimming the wick and for thispurpose the front wall 37 of the movable portion 26 of the dome or easing is cut away to form opposed V- shaped openings whereby a thin cutting lOO edge 60 is produced between the openings at substantially the level of the top of the Wick. Upon reciprocation of the movable portion 26 of the dome in the manner above de scribed, the cutting or knife edge 60 .is moved transversely across the top of the wick, thus operating to trim the saine without extinguishing the flame. will he clear from an inspection of Figs. 2 and 3, and the crust thus removed is permitted to fall freely downward over the rear edge of the bottom late 25.

From the description tlaus far it will be The operation observed that the improved burner possesses long time burning properties resulting from the construction of the dome or casing 20, and the advantage of this feature will be apparent from a consideration of t-he use to which these burners are usually put in railroad signal work. At the present time thev Engineers Association prescribes that the lamps be trimmed every two or three days, in order to maintain the burner ina satisfactory operating condition. In many instances at the present time the burners are not cleaned as prescribed by the association, and oftentimes accidents result from faulty signals. The present burner has been found to burn satisfactorily without requiring trinuning or cleaning with ordinary kerosene oil for a period of more than double the time which the ordinary burner will burn satisfactorily.` As a result, even if not trinuued more frequently than once a week, the vpresent burner 'will burn with a satisfactory flame and the liability of accident is proportionately decreased. At the present time in order to increase the efficiency of eX- isting oil signal lanterns and burners, the railroads use a special burner oil of a grade higher than that of ordinary kerosene, costing in the neighborhood of l to 5 cents a gallon more-than kerosene. It will therefore be apparent that the present burner reduces to a minimum the operating cost with respect to the oil consumed.

Another advantage of the present construction of burner resides in the simplicity with which the ventilating holes may be maintained ina clean and operative condition. This is of great practical importance because of the fact that at the present time the ordinary signal repair man will not take the trouble to clean with a pin or other small implement the small holes which are usually found in existing types of burners to afford the ventilation necessary in maintaning a proper Haine. llVith the present construction a man may clean the ventilating holes by reciprocating the shaft or rod yfl-O., and in practice it is preferred to construct the shaft l0 of a length sufficient to extend outwardly to the exterior of the lantern casing, in which case it is not necessary for the operator to remove the burner from the lantern casing to perform the cleaning and trimming operation. As a result the present burner may be maintained in a.

highly ellicienly operating` condition with little or no liability of the signal repair man overlooking or neglecting his work.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. Aburner having a wick tube and a d-ome (5o-operating therewith to form an enlargement thereof above the outlet end of said wick tube, said dome having a bottom and upright walls, the latter being provided with a main air inlet'whose lower end is located above the said bottom to cause the wick to be projected out of the wick tube in order to co-operate with said main air inlet and thereby cause the sides of the wick above the wick tube to be exposed.

2. A burner having a wick tube, a plate mounted on said wick tube at its outlet end, a casing erected on said plate and bodily movable laterally on said plate, said casing having a main air inlet whose lower end terminates above said plate.

A burner having a. wick tube and a dome cooperating therewith to form an eX- tension thereof, and having a bottom member aiiixed to the wick tube and a portion provided with a main air inlet and slidable with respect to the said bottom member and said wick tube to trim the wick.

4. A burner having a wick tube and a dome cooperating therewith to form an extension thereof, and provided with a flame outlet opening in its top and with a ventilating opening'` near its bottom, and means operative from the exterior of the burner for effecting the cleaning' of said ventilating opening.

5. A burner having a wick tube and a dome cooperating therewith to form an eX- tension thereof, and having one port-ion movable transversely with relation to the wick tube, and a ventilating opening in the dome arranged to be cleaned upon movement of the movable portion of the dome.

6. A burner having a wick tube and a dome cooperating therewith to form an eX- tension thereof, and comprising a bottom member carried by the wick tube, and an "upper member slidably mounted upon the bottom member and provided with a portion adapted to engage and trim the wick when the upper member is moved upon the lower' member.

7. A burner having a wick tube and a dome cooperating therewith to form an extension thereof, and comprising a bottom member carried by the wick tube, and an upper member slidably mounted upon the bottom member, a ventilating opening for supplying air to within the dome, the walls of which are formed by portions of the bottom and upper men'ibers, whereby movement of the upper member olmrates lo clean the ventilating opening'.

8. A burner having a wick tube and a dome co-operating therewith, a rotatable device to engage the wick and feed the same, a shaft to rotate said device and movable longitudinally independently of said rotatable device and operatively connected with said movable dome to move the same and trim the wick.

9. A burner having a Wick tube, a dome cooperating therewith to form an enlargement thereof and having a movable portion provided with main and auxiliary air inlets, means for feeding a wick from the wick tube into said dome, and a slidable and rotatable member connected with the movable portion of said dome and with Said wick feeding means for the purpose specified.

10. A burner having a wick tube, a dome tio-operating therewith to form an enlargement thereof and having a portion movable bodily with relation to said wick tube and provided with a main air inlet, and a slidable member connected with the movable portion of said dome to move the latter bodily with respect to said wick tube.

11. A burner having a wick tube', and a dome above the wick tube forming an enlargement thereof and slidable transversely with relation to the wick tube to clean the wick, said dome being provided with air inlets above the bottom of the dome upon opposite sides of the wick tube to leave an air chamber in the dome below said air inlets.

12. A burner having a wick tube and a dome above the wick tube forming an enlargement thereof and provided with air inlets comprising open slots in the Walls of the dome terminating a substantial distance above the bottom of the dome and upon opnssase posile sides of the wick tube and in substznr tial alignment therewith to leave an air chamber in the dome below said slots.

13. A burner having a wick tube anda dome cooperating therewith to form an enlargement thereof, said dome having a bottom attached to the wick tube and provided with side walls having main air inlets above the said bottom upon opposite sides of the wick tube and having `auxiliary air inlet means near the bottom of the dome for preventing jumping of the flame.

14, A burner having a Wick tube and a dome substantially rectangular in section located above the wick tube and forming an enlargement thereof and provided with air inlets above the bottom of the dome comprising tapering slots in opposed walls of the dome of a depth substantially equal to two-thirds of the length of the dome, one of said walls having a solid portion below the bottom of the air inlet therein, and the other of said walls having an opening in its bottom portion which cooperates with the air inlet above it to form a knife edge.

, In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

EDWARD cfoonano. 

